pedophiles the gambia

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A tourist wades into the bounding main with a small-scale African child in The gambia - where child sex abuse is rife

Gambian children are being sold to British paedophiles for as little equally £2-a-time by their drastic parents, Lord's day Online can reveal.

Huge numbers of predators are taking advantage of lax laws in the poverty stricken African country to commence on ill kid abuse holidays where they openly target little boys and girls.

Dominicus Online saw first hand how poor Gambian children can be vulnerable to British paedos when we visited the beach resorts that dot Kololi on the country's picturesque Atlantic coastline.

Our reporter was constantly shocked by the number of unaccompanied African minors he saw beingness cared for past middle-aged, Western men who did non appear to exist their biological fathers.

gambia pedophiles child british man

A human with a British accent holds a scared toddler in his arms

The encounters witnessed included a girl anile between vi and eight having dejeuner with a balding, white haired homo in a restaurant filled with similarly aged tourists.

The same solar day nosotros saw a stoutly built man in his 50s or 60s wading into the sea gripping the hand of a tiny African kid in white swimming shorts.

Equally unsettling was the sight of a Gambian toddler watching broad-eyed with fear as a center-anile white woman got into a fist fight with a young black prostitute at a popular beach bar.

Information technology was 11.30pm at night and the air was thick with cigarette smoke. The child, no older than 2, was being held closely by a white homo with a British accent.

Children sold for £ii

Our investigation comes as experts warn that the economic crisis unleashed past the collapse of travel business firm Thomas Cook is helping turn the former British colony into a "paedophile paradise" where perverts tin operate unchecked.

Thomas Cook flew 45 per cent of The Gambia's 100,000 annual visitors from the UK to the capital Banjul until information technology went into liquidation nether the weight of its debts in September.

The gambia map pedophiles

In an exclusive interview, Lamin Fat, the National Coordinator of the Child Protection Alliance in The The gambia, reveals that both male and female tourists are targeting African minors.

He warns: "Sexual activity is inexpensive in my country and children are being sold for as picayune as 150 dalasis, or just over £2 in your currency. Some of the parents know their children are being abused and they have it because they are so desperate for nutrient in their bellies.

"Others are besides naïve to realise. They call up the Westerner is paying their bills and helping their male child or girl out of the kindness of their middle, while in reality they have bad intentions.

"Kid abuse is going on all the time in The Republic of the gambia and the government is not doing enough to put a stop to it.

The Gambia pedophiles

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2 school-age girls play at the feet of two men, their mums nowhere in sight

"Our children are beingness approached straight on the beaches or the street and child abusers from all over Europe including the UK are coming hither for this.

"I want to make clear that this does not only involve men but also adult women who are paying for sex with teenage boys in The Gambia.

"We have laws that are supposed to finish this from happening only they are non being enforced and then we take go a paradise for paedophiles."

Locals 'desperate' after Thomas Melt collapse

As tourism makes upwards i-third of the country's Gross domestic product, there are fears that businesses will go bust and locals will get hungry following an estimated 50 per cent drop in economic activity that has already hit embankment resorts.

Lawyer and children'southward rights advocate Malick Jallow told Sun Online: "While some tourists will always want to help poor Gambians, others will see this situation as an opportunity to exploit young children.

the gambia pedophiles britain

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Lamin Fat, National Coordinator of the Children's Protection Brotherhood, said this boy shouldn't be in a bar so late at night, adding: "We practice not encourage physical affection with minors"

"The problem is that the corruption is sometimes carried out with the blessing of the parents considering they are and so in need.

"The perception is that white people, or 'toubabs' as they call them, have stacks of cash and these parents are often excited that their child has attracted the attention of a white man.

"Information technology actually makes them feel proud so they give their permission for the boy or daughter to go with the person and when the constabulary attempt to question them they will non co-operate."

'She didn't look comfortable at all'

Erstwhile Thomas Cook rep Anne Heap, 53, from Wigan, said: "These people are equally poor as poor can exist — it's rare to run into a kid wearing shoes — and in that location isn't any other trade for them exterior tourism.

"Thomas Cook used to ever requite us an actress 10kg luggage assart then the workers and passengers could bring aid boxes to The The gambia — basic things like apparel, medicine and school equipment.

"The first affair I thought of when nosotros went under was, 'What is going to happen to people in The gambia?' We were the only airline flying directly there.I've heard that crime has already shot upwards as there is not plenty money coming in — the hand that feeds them is gone.

"Sex tourism is already huge in The Gambia — some bars are like brothels — and I do worry that more children will become lured into prostitution to feed their families. When I was working at that place I would meet onetime men walking with girls as young every bit 10, 11 or 12. There is a night side to The Gambia.

"Once when we were flight back to Manchester in that location was a British human in his 70s with a girl who was only about eight or nine. This was nearly eight years agone. I was and so concerned most what was going on that I got chatting to him outside the toilet during the flight. I wanted to speak to the girl too but she never left her seat, she didn't look comfy at all. I reported it and border security later told me the human being had been 'apprehended' but I was non able to find out what happened to him or the girl after that."

Tots manus-in-hand with 'paedos'

Nosotros came across a number of tourists with immature children in the West African resortCredit: My Story Media

In that location is no proof to suggest that any of the men we pictured were paedophiles.

All the same the experts we showed our dossier of photos to said the constabulary should have questioned them according to Gambian kid protection laws.

Lamin Fatty said: "This does worry me because, if the children are unaccompanied, they should not be lone in tourist areas without their parents.

"Information technology is also forbidden for a child to exist in a bar so late at night and nosotros do not encourage physical amore with minors.

"I piece of work with young girls and boys and I would not hug them or pick them upwardly, it is not appropriate."

Malick Jallow added: "I would have questioned these men had I seen them myself. Equally a lawyer and an activist, I would want to know if they take the authority to be caring for that child. We have a lot of practiced Samaritans coming to The Gambia only we also take people who use charity as a front to hide their bad intentions.

"The security guards should have questioned these men but there is a civilisation of inferiority hither and they would have been scared to challenge a wealthy Westerner."

British tourists can however wing to The Gambia via Lisbon with the TAP airline or via Casablanca with Royal Air Maroc. In that location is too a limited direct service run by 'Republic of the gambia Experience' visitor and package deals can be snapped up for simply over £500 a person.

Pensioners taking teens to hotels

Older British women are famed for holidaying in The The gambia, where some option upwards African gigolosCredit: My Story Media

Health care assistant Lucy Mendy, 33, from Gloucester, was trying to relish a wintertime holiday in the country she has come to come across as a second home — but says she was shocked by some of the things she had witnessed during her trip.

She said: "I've seen onetime men taking girls looking every bit young as xv or sixteen-years-old to their hotel room.

"It made me feel sick and I wish I could have intervened, but this is not the United kingdom and I was scared what might have happened if I tried to confront them. People here are and so poor, some of them will practise anything for money, even if information technology means giving their bodies to a tourist."

Marjorie said the impact of Thomas Melt closing downward was articulate to see in the resort

Lucy'southward mum, pensioner Marjorie Botton, 68, also from Gloucester, added: "The collapse of Thomas Cook has hit people and then difficult.

"They are getting one-half every bit many British tourists and that ways they might not make enough coin to become through the tranquillity flavor, which starts in April."

Dutch tourist Corina Bouwman likewise witnessed suspected kid abuse during her two week, wintertime vacation in December.

The social worker, 54, said: "I've seen a number of tiny African children walking effectually with big white men. On each occasion I idea, 'What is going on here? Where is the child's mother?' Only I didn't want to accuse anyone in case I had misread the situation."

'White men arroyo little boys and girls'

Begetter-of-4 Abdullah Labamba, 48, runs a fruit stand next to i of the many hotels that line Kololi's palm-tree fringed beach and says he has witnessed paedophiles targeting vulnerable kid workers selling peanuts for less than £i a bag.

the gambia pedophiles britain

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Fruit seller Abdullah Labamba, pictured, says paedos often target vulnerable child workers selling peanuts

He said: "I've seen white men approach the little boys and girls right here on the embankment. I do my all-time to cease them. "I tell the children, 'Become out of hither, this is not a safe place for you.' The children will run abroad but they normally come dorsum. It's shocking."

"Their parents are desperate for money and they know they won't be immune home until they have sold at least five numberless. Some men try to accept advantage of that past offering them £fifty for the whole basket. Then they volition enquire them to come back to get somewhere individual."

Kid abuse scourge

Tragically, child abuse is at present endemic in The Gambia, where 60 per cent of the 1.9m population live below the poverty line.

Previous research has shown that paedophiles often pose every bit charity workers and Good Samaritans so they can befriend poor families — and UNICEF has warned that The Gambia is ane of Africa'south top destinations for child sex tourism.

The Gambian regime meanwhile has tried to crack down and in 2013 introduced new laws allowing them to seize hotel properties if children are knowingly driveling on the bounds.

They likewise pledged to give out "hefty fines" and "potent sentences" to paedophiles that are caught.

But incredibly in that location has been only one successful prosecution since laws were tightened and that human being ended up being pardoned by the president.

Svein Agesandakar pedophile gambia

Svein Agesandakar was jailed for sexual offences against children

Norwegian instructor Svein Agesandakar, 57, was found guilty of abusing 6 children, the youngest aged iii, in 2006.

The court heard how he had tricked his fashion into a hard-upwardly Gambian family unit past posing every bit a do-gooder, giving the parents sacks of rice and new shoes in exchange for time alone with their large brood of vi kids in a hotel room.

The paedophile had separate convictions for child abuse in Norway but was sentenced to just three years in jail.

Then, in 2018 President Adama Barrow decided to pardon him for reasons that have never been explained. The pardon was afterwards revoked amidst a public outcry but experts fear his instance has given a light-green calorie-free to other paedophiles.

ECPAT is the only child rights charity that is solely focusing on ending the sexual exploitation of children.

Children in all countries of the world are at risk of trafficking and prostitution, equally well as online dangers such as grooming, sextortion and the proliferation of kid sexual corruption images.

In recent years, the travel and tourism sector has imperilled millions of children worldwide as travelling child sex activity offenders find new victims.

To end these crimes, noesis and prove must be of the highest possible quality to inform decisions and guide activeness.

Predator complimentary

In October last yr an official United nations investigation plant that Republic of the gambia'due south tourist areas keep to exist a dangerous place for children and that predators now stay in motels and private apartments so they can avoid prying eyes.

United nations Special Rapporteur Maud de Boer-Buquicchio reported: "The rare instances when complaints are lodged with the police are non duly acted upon, the gathering of compelling evidence is delayed, and investigation and prosecution is stalled, resulting in victims or witnesses withdrawing their complaints.

"Some cases have too reportedly been dismissed on the grounds that statements by child victims were allegedly inconsistent."

Our study comes after the U.k. government was slammed for declining to protect children overseas from British predators.

A study by the Contained Inquiry into Child Sexual Corruption (IICSA) plant more needs to be done to brand sure offenders operating in poor countries like The Gambia are defenseless and prosecuted.

Calling for a new national plan to tackle the problem, Debbie Beadle, Managing director of Programmes at the child protection organisation ECPAT UK, said: "Nosotros hope that by bringing these institutional failings to light, the UK tin become a world leader in tackling the abuse of vulnerable children globally, and that child victims abroad are no longer 'nether the radar' of authorities.

Global manhunt for Aussie paedo monster Simon Gordon Davies who ran kid sexual practice ring from charity gear up to 'aid' homeless kids

End Child Prostitution and Trafficking - ECPAT is conducting primary research, as well as bringing together information from various sectors and countries around the globe, to grade a reliable and professional range of bookish sources.The charity supports the protection of children and empowerment of 113 members in 98 countries - including The Gambia. Yous can donate to ECPAT here .